We have one male share spot left on our REEF Trip to Honduras in June. Join us on this great dive vacation aboard the luxurious liveaboard MV Caribbean Pearl II! Dates are June 21 - 28. We will explore Utila, Roatan, and the banks in between. This special trip is led by two marine biologists, and we hear that whale sharks could be seen! To find out more, visit http://www.REEF.org/node/8679

Other 2014 REEF trips with spaces remaining include: Hornby Island British Columbia in September, Cayman Brac in September, and Nevis in December. We have also added a trip to Fiji in May 2015 (more 2015 trips coming soon). REEF Field Survey Trips are a great introduction to fish identification for novice fishwatchers, and a fun way for experienced surveyors to build their life list while interacting with fellow fishwatchers. Prices and complete details can be found online at www.REEF.org/trips. To find out more about any of these trips or to book your space, contact our travel consultants at Caradonna at 1-877-295-7333 (REEF), REEF@caradonna.com, or our staff at REEF HQ at 305-852-0030, trips@REEF.org.

REEF is excited to announce the release of Invasive Lionfish: A Guide to Control and Management. Available as an e-book to view and/or download (formatted for desktop and mobile devices), this extensive manual was created to aid coastal managers and field workers in effectively managing the invasive lionfish problem. This best practices manual consists of chapters on control strategies, outreach and education plans, research, monitoring, legal considerations, and ideas for acquiring resources and vital partnerships from around the region. Invasive lionfish are a major ecological disaster causing wide-reaching negative impacts throughout the western Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. By utilizing examples provided in this guide, researchers and managers throughout the region will be well equipped to address the lionfish invasion.

This work would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of NOAA, REEF, ICRI, the United Nations Environment Programme, Caribbean Environment Programme, SPAWRAC, and the 40+ participants of the 2010 Caribbean Regional Lionfish Workshop. This manual will be the first book in the new GCFI Special Publication Series. Authors include James Morris (NOAA), Dayne Buddo (University of the West Indies, Jamaica), Stephanie Green (Simon Frasier University), Ricardo Lozano (CONANP, Mexico), and Lad Akins (REEF).

We are excited to announce the 2013 Summer Lionfish Derby Series! Five years ago, REEF began hosting lionfish derbies throughout Florida and the Caribbean to address the lionfish invasion. A lionfish derby is a single day team competition to collect as many lionfish as possible. Teams collect lionfish using nets or spears while SCUBA diving or free diving, and prizes are awarded to the teams with the most lionfish, biggest lionfish, and smallest lionfish caught. Not only do these events reduce lionfish populations, but they also increase education and awareness, provide samples for research, train divers in safe removal techniques, and help develop the market for lionfish as a food fish. To register or learn more, please visit www.REEF.org/lionfish/derbies. 2013 Derby dates and locations are: June 22 - Green Turtle Cay Bahamas; July 27 - Fort Lauderdale, FL; August 17 - Palm Beach, FL; September 14 - Key Largo, FL.

REEF Data from Hawaii are being used to evaluate ecosystem services models for coral reefs. Photo by David Andrew.

Every month, scientists, government agencies, and other groups request raw data from REEF’s Fish Survey Project database. Here is a sampling of who has asked for REEF data recently and what they are using it for:

-Fisheries scientist are using data on Hogfish from Florida, Puerto Rico, and the USVI to evaluate population status and help set effective catch limits as part of the US Fisheries Management Council's stock assessment.

- A scientist from RSMAS at the University of Miami is evaluating the status of Caribbean predatory fish species, including Gray Snapper, Barracuda, and Goliath Grouper.

- An environmental researcher at University of Miami is assessing biodiversity indexes as a measure of effectiveness with ongoing septic tank replacement and canal improvement projects in the Florida Keys.

- A PhD student from University of Hawaii is using data from Maui Nui to conduct coral reef ecosystem services models.

- A researcher from University of Victoria is using data from Washington and British Columbia to evaluate community richness values for temperate rocky reefs.

This month we highlight Herb Gruenhagen. Herb has been a REEF member since 2001, and has conducted 208 surveys (all in his home state of California). He is a member of the Pacific Coast Advanced Assessment Team as an Expert Surveyor. Here's what Herb had to say about REEF:

When and how did you first volunteer with REEF or become a REEF member?

In July 2000, the San Diego Ocean Foundation sunk a Canadian Destroyer as an artificial reef. I was one of several divers who performed both fish and invertebrate surveys, using transects, quadrats, and REEF Roving Surveys. When the San Diego Oceans Foundation decided to become a REEF Field Station, I volunteered to become a volunteer REEF instructor. I have been teaching a REEF class each month in San Diego since that time.

What are some of the highlights of your local diving?

I dive the La Jolla Shores most of the time, and it is always changing. There are the resident species, the transients, and the seasonal ones. The resident species will always be there no matter what. The transients can be the many pelagic species that the currents bring in. For example, a while back, we are seeing several different species of jellyfish and the leopard sharks are returning to the warmer water shallows near the Marine Room. The seasonal species are really the special surprises. During the early spring the nudibranchs come out to start their mating, and in the winter, we have a ‘white’ Christmas with all the Market squid schooling, mating, and laying their white finger-like egg cases. Other special surprises can be molas, baby grey whales, midshipman, mantis shrimp, wolf-fishes, and even Finescale Triggerfishes.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned doing a REEF fish survey?

Doing REEF surveys really highlights the many different variations that a given species can take on. Being a REEF surveyor gives you the ability to recognize new species from common species, and all the many variations within the same species. Paying attention to all the details is really important to getting a good ID. I try to get a good image of the fish and ask for help when I’m not sure.

In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of REEF’s projects and programs?

After all the years of teaching the courses, I’m just really glad to see local divers coming to my class to expand their knowledge of the local marine life, whether they do one survey or many surveys. I love watching the learning process and expanding the students minds of the many wonderful forms of marine life we have here to enjoy and need to perserve for future generations.

Do you have a favorite local (or not) REEF field station or dive shop?

The REEF Field station is the San Diego Oceans Foundation, but the facilities that we use is Ocean Enterprises in San Diego. Ocean Enterprises has been very supportive over the years and everyone really appreciates the use of their classrooms, computer and projector and its central location in the city. Thank you Ocean Enterprises for your many years of support.

What is the most fascinating fish encounter you’ve experienced? What is your favorite?

Well, of course photographing species new to science or that is rare or very uncommon is a highlight. I have photographed several fishes and nudibranchs that fall into one of those categories. My most fascinating fish that I have seen is the Specklefin Midshipman, Porichthys myriaste. We see many juvenile Plainfin Midshipman in the winter, but the Specklefin were quite a find! One of my favorite fishes is the Sarcastic Fringehead. They are one of the few fishes that see you as a threat and will interact with divers and their photo gear. They will charge out of their breeding holes (ok, we are talking about a 6” fish) at the camera lens, thinking they are seeing ‘another’ fringehead in the lens. They will bite all your cables and your finger and charge back into their hole. They will also interact with each other and fearlessly defend their breeding holes by opening their mouths at each other beyond the stretching point.

Are you an experienced REEF surveyor in the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA)? If so, you might want to check out our brand new underwater survey paper featuring an extended list of species. The double-sided list fits on the regular yellow slate. The longer list of species means less write-in species and more efficient data entry. When entering your data, just select the longer list in the "Species View" field at the top of the data entry field. You can find the new paper in REEF's online store here - http://www.reef.org/node/433. The store also includes new paper for our Central Indo-Pacific and South Pacific/Fiji regions, along with handy ID guides, and REEF gear!

If you haven't checked out the 2016 REEF Trips schedule yet, now's the time. We have an exciting lineup of destinations planned, and we hope you will join us. These trips offer a great introduction to fish identification for novice fishwatchers, and are a fun way for experienced surveyors to build their life-list while interacting with fellow ocean enthusiasts. We are also offering three of the ever-popular Invasive Lionfish Research Studies trips. REEF staff, board members, and other marine life experts lead the trips, and each features daily classroom seminars and a full diving schedule.

To find out more or to book your space, contact us at trips@REEF.org or call 305-588-5869. Visit www.REEF.org/trips to see the complete schedule, package details, trip leader bios, and more. Book early - REEF trips often sell out! Also, keep an eye on the REEF Trips webpage because we will be adding a few more trips to the 2016 schedule (and beyond) in the coming months.

We are excited to announce that Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects, is a 2016 recipient of Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA)’s Reaching Out Award! First presented in 1989, this award honors leaders in the diving community whose significant contributions to the sport have elevated the industry on all levels. Lad will join distinguished past recipients including Jacques Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle and Dr. Eugenie Clark, as well as REEF Co-Founder Paul Humann, and Board of Trustees Members Peter Hughes and Marty Snyderman.

Lad has worked tirelessly since REEF’s founding in 1990 to educate divers around the world about the marine environment and how to actively engage in conservation efforts through citizen science. Due to Lad’s efforts and dedication over the past 26 years, REEF is one of the largest citizen science organizations in the world with more than 60,000 members and over 200,000 fish surveys submitted to REEF’s online marine sightings database.

Lad spearheaded REEF’s efforts to combat the lionfish invasion over a decade ago. Lad has worked with scientists, government officials, the dive industry and the public to spread awareness and to facilitate the management and effective removal of these prolific invaders. His contributions to this issue have been numerous, widespread, and inventive. He pioneered the concept of lionfish derbies, and has authored or co-authored 30 scientific publications, as well as other publications, including “Invasive Lionfish: A Guide to Control and Management” and “The Lionfish Cookbook: The Caribbean’s New Delicacy”, now in its second edition.

Without Lad, REEF would not be where it is today. We are happy that he is receiving the recognition for his work to conserve our oceans and his impacts on countless divers and citizen scientists.

This month we highlight Laurie Fulton. Laurie lives in Colorado, and has been a REEF member since 2012. She is an Advanced Surveyor (Level 3) in four of REEF's regions. She participated in the REEF Expedition to the Azores last summer as part of REEF's expansion to the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. To date, Laurie has completed 197 surveys. Here’s what Laurie had to say about REEF:

When and how did you first volunteer with REEF?

My first REEF trip was in 2012 to the Sea of Cortez on the Rocio del Mar. I had done volunteer trips with other non-profit groups, and was looking to combine my love of diving with volunteer work. REEF provides the perfect combination of both passions.

If you have been on a REEF Field Survey, where and what was your trip highlight?

Since 2012 I have been hooked on REEF trips and try to do a few each year. Every trip is filled with remarkable experiences, and I consider every new fish added to my life list as a highlight. That being said, it’s hard to beat the extraordinary experience of having whale sharks swim by in the Philippines!

What is your favorite part about being a REEF member?

I really enjoy expanding my knowledge and appreciation of the undersea world combined with the opportunity to dive with like-minded people and contribute to research data. I compare it to birdwatching. In addition to observing, identifying and counting, we get to add our data to a vast online database that is available to researchers around the world. It is citizen science at its best!

Where is your favorite place to dive?

Living in Colorado I don’t get to do much local diving, so I love having the great variety of REEF trips available to me. One of my favorite destinations has been Fiji for the calm warm waters and huge diversity of fish to count!

What is the most fascinating fish encounter you’ve experienced?

A stand out for me was in Hawaii watching a Peacock Grouper coax a Whitemouth Moray out of its hole for a session of cooperative hunting. The grouper kept rubbing up against the eels head until the moray plunged down into jumbled coral and rocks while 5 groupers raced along above it. Just like using a dog to hunt.

What is your favorite fish or invertebrate?

One of my favorite marine creatures has to be the octopus. I have had many encounters with these intelligent animals over the years and am always thrilled to see them on dives. Just watch Hank on ‘Finding Dory’!

Do you have any surveying, fishwatching, or identification tips for REEF members?

Before each REEF trip I spend time watching the Fishinars for the region. I also take the survey paper and mark the page number from the book for each species next to it. That way I look at each fish and become familiar with the layout of the survey paper.

What is your most memorable fish find and why? What fish do you really want to see underwater?

Last year in the Bahamas I found a Golden Hamlet, which is pictured on the cover of the Humann and DeLoach book. It is my only sighting after years of diving in the Caribbean, so it was very exciting. It was not a REEF trip so no one on the boat quite got it. I would love to swim with a Mola Mola, it’s just such an odd fish.